PRESENTS
The Illustrated
Guide to Jewelry
Making Tools:
More than 125 jewelry tools
in 30 categories described –
plus pros’ favorites!
THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS
INSIDE:
JEWELERS BENCH
If you like making jewelry, you like jewelry making tools.
In Jewelry Making Daily Presents: The Illustrated Guide
to Jewelry Making Tools, you’ll ﬁnd everything you need
to get started making your own handmade jewelry. Find
out what basic tools are necessary or nice to have and
what each one is designed to help you do better.
3
FORMING TOOL S
4
UTILITY HAMMERS
SILVERSMITHING HAMMERS
MANDRELS, STAKES & ANVILS
DAPPING, PUNCHING, & COMPRESSION
5
6
8
9
PLIERS
CLAMPS & VISES
10
11
CUTTING TOOL S
SAW FRAMES & BLADES
12
12
FILES, GRAVERS & STAMPS
DRILL BITS & BURS
14
15
Don’t know the difference between a bench block, a mandrel and an anvil? We’ll
clue you in. When do you use a ball peen hammer, a planishing hammer, and a
chasing hammer? We’ll let you know – and tell you why one pro calls a wellformed planishing hammer his favorite jewelry making tool of all. Want to know
what chain nose pliers and round nose pliers look like, or what kinds of other
jewelry pliers are available? We’ll show you. Why is a pin vise or a tube cutter a
handy thing to have? We’ll explain that and much more.
SOLDERING TOOL S
16
TORCH ACCESSORIES
SOLDERING AIDS
16
17
FINISHING TOOL S
20
20
21
You’ll ﬁnd this illustrated eBook a valuable reference if you’re just venturing into
jewelry metalsmithing, and full of interesting comments from established jewelers
even if you’re one yourself. Plus you can check out tools for more specialized
techniques like stone setting, casting, or using metal clay, as well as lapidary tools
for cabochon cutting, faceting, and gem carving – even the basics for beading!
It’s a great resource you can turn to anytime you go jewelry tool shopping or just
want to enjoy thinking about every jewelry maker’s favorite topic: jewelry tools!
CASTING
WAX CARVING
METAL CLAY
STONE SETTING
22
22
23
24
25
Merle White
Editorial Director, Interweave Gem & Jewelry Group
CABOCHON CUTTING
26
FACETING & GEM CARVING
BEADING
27
28
HAND FINISHING
MOTORIZED FINISHING
S P E C I A LT Y T O O L S
This premium has been published by Interweave Press, 201 E. Fourth St., Loveland, CO 80537-5655; (970) 669-7672. Copyright © 2010 by Interweave Press, a division of Aspire Media,
all rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without consent of the copyright owner.
© INTERWEAVE PRESS ŗ NOT TO BE REPRINTED ŗ ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
www.JewelryMakingDaily.com 2
The Illustrated Guide to Jewelry Making Tools
BY SHARON ELAINE THOMPSON ŗ PHOTOS BY JIM LAWSON
lthough there are many ways to make jewelry, fabriof metal, and stones are useful features. A bench pin attached to
cation is one of the two most widely used methods;
the front of the bench top is where most holding, ﬁling, sanding,
the other is casting. Fabricated jewelry is made
and sawing will be done. A good quality bench is well built of
directly from metal wire, tubing, and sheet. Metal is formed or
hardwood and will last a lifetime — or even several.
shaped, sawn, and then joined by soldering or
A supportive, comfortable, adjustable chair that
other connection methods. Finally it is polished,
allows
the jeweler to sit correctly without straining
Although seen
patinated, and the stones are set.
as furniture, the is critical. Adjust chair height or bench height (by
For fabricating jewelry or ﬁnishing jewelry
putting blocks under the legs if necessary) to suit
bench is actually your physical requirements. Get good general
work, you’ll work most comfortably at a jeweler’s
a specialized and lighting as well as good task lighting and provide
bench. Although it is seen as furniture, the
bench is actually a specialized and important
important tool . . . ventilation that draws or blows soldering and
tool designed for the many tasks of the working
ﬂuxing fumes away from your face and vents them
jeweler. Your bench top should be almost at eye level. Storage
outside. Once these general studio requirements have been met,
drawers, armrests that slide out from under the bench top, and
you’ll want to begin the serious business of acquiring hand and
a catch tray underneath the working area for ﬁlings, small pieces
mechanized tools for several metalworking processes.
A
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN LAPIDARY JOURNAL JEWELRY ARTIST, MAY 2009
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THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS
FORMING
HAMMERS
RIVETING
GOLDSMITH’S
Hammers are the most basic of the metalsmith’s
tools. Without a hammer, you are not a smith.
Most hammers have two faces that are differently sized or shaped; mallets have identical
faces. Most hammers have straight shafts;
the exception is the chasing hammer. Most
hammers can be used for several functions;
some are specialized. The fundamental differences are this: there are hammers for striking
metal and hammers for striking tools. A brief
description of their uses follows.
Note: “Peen (or pein)” refers to the business
face of the hammer. A “ball peen” is a ballshaped face; a “cross-peen” is one that is at right
angles to the handle.
BALL PEEN
FLAT FACED
CHASING
FORMING DEFINED
Precious metals are ductile. Their shape can be altered by applying
force, usually by striking directly or indirectly with a hammer, as the
metal rests against a hard striking surface, such as iron or steel, or a
soft one, such as wood or pitch. This process is called forming or forging, although the term forging is usually reserved for blacksmithing.
Shallow forming, such as repoussé, chasing, dapping, and
stamping, moves the metal without cutting it, as when, for example, you convert a round disk into a half dome by dapping.
Repoussé and chasing are interchangeable terms — both are
types of shallow forming that utilize steel punches to push metal up
or down in a bed of pitch. The ﬂat metal is stretched from a ﬂat plane
into relief. Repoussé pushes the metal forward from the back; chasing
produces grooves or patterns from the front of a piece (intaglio).
Dapping creates shallow, half domes. Deep forming moves
the metal into a different conﬁguration, as when you ﬂatten and
curve a straight piece of heavy gauge square wire into a neck collar.
Other tools used to stretch and shape metal are drawplates for
wire and rolling mills for sheet.
THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS BY SHARON ELAINE THOMPSON
RAWHIDE MALLET
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THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS
FORMING
RIVETING
UTILITY HAMMERS
NYLON
MALLET
BALL PEEN an all purpose hammer with one
round, one half-domed face, for ﬂattening
and shaping metal, removing dents; can be
used to drive chisels, punches, stamps.
CHASING with one ﬂat face for striking other
tools (such as stamps) or planishing metal; one
round face for forming and riveting. Handle
has a bulbous end and a narrow neck for more
bounce back and less strain on the wrist.
GOLDSMITH’S with one ﬂat and one cross
peen head for riveting and other work.
MALLETS have identical faces and can be
made of plastic, rawhide, or metal.
CURVED FACE
CHASING
RIVETING with one round, one chisel-shaped
face, for riveting, tacking, and lightweight
forming.
PROFESSIONAL’S CHOICE
DEAD
BLOW MALLET
BALL PEEN
THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS BY SHARON ELAINE THOMPSON
Andy Cooperman
“I have several ball peen hammers that I use
for many, many tasks. I forge with the ﬂat
peen of a long-handled ball peen that I’ve
had for years. I also use it to strike dapping
punches and for general hammering as well.
I use another old ball peen that belonged
to my grandfather — it has a rusted and
pitted surface — to lay down a base layer
of texturing. I have ﬁled the narrow cross
peen of a small goldsmith’s or riveting style
hammer to a knife edge and use this in
texturing. Sometimes, I rivet with the ﬂat
side. I also grab a small planishing hammer
that was in the very ﬁrst bag of metalsmithing tools that I bought.”
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THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS
FORMING
FORMING
SYNCLASTIC
FORMING
SILVERSMITHING HAMMERS
EMBOSSING with two rounded, differently
sized faces, for a variety of metalwork.
FORMING a heavy hammer with ﬂat or domed
faces, used to move metal.
PLANISHING with ﬂat or convex faces, to
smooth metal that has been worked by other
hammers or to harden metal.
PLANISHING
RAISING with two rectangular, blunt, or wedgeshaped cross peen faces, used to “raise” the
metal from ﬂat sheet to dimensional form by
striking the outside of the form.
TEXTURING with machined or patterned faces,
for striking texture directly onto metalwork.
JEWELER’S
EMBOSSING
JEWELER’S
SMALL
EMBOSSING
PROFESSIONAL’S CHOICE
Betty Helen Longhi
“The hammers I have used the most are
three cross peen hammers with slightly
different widths of the cross peen, and two
raising hammers with different-sized faces.
These ﬁve hammers allow me to create the
large variety of forms I use in jewelry and
sculpture. All of these hammers are now
available from Allcraft.”
THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS BY SHARON ELAINE THOMPSON
LARGE
EMBOSSING
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THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS
FORMING
PROFESSIONAL’S CHOICE
Bill Fretz
“A well-formed planishing hammer is my
favorite metalsmithing tool. It can texture and
form with the domed end, smooth rippled
metal, raise small shapes and stretch it. Flip
it over to the ﬂat side and the hammering
produces very reﬁned shapes with just a
hint of texturing. Hammer very lightly with
overlapping blows and the previous marks
will disappear. With different convex stakes it
becomes the universal shaping tool. I am now
using my HMR-1 planishing hammer because
it is scaled for jewelry.”
NARROW
RAISING
SPICULUM
FORMING
BORDERING
NYLON RAISING
TEXTURING
TEXTURING
THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS BY SHARON ELAINE THOMPSON
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THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS
FORMING
BRACELET
MANDREL
MANDRELS,
STAKES, &
ANVILS
Mandrels and stakes are specialized
anvil forms used as striking surfaces
in jewelry making and hollowware
forming. Jewelers who do a lot of deep
forming use standard anvils; most use
small table top versions of these classic
shapes as well as bench blocks.
HEX ANVIL
BENCH
BLOCK
BEZEL
FORMING
STAKE
RING
MANDREL
BENCH BLOCKS common jewelry anvil, most
often a 3-4” square by 1” thick block of stainless
steel for striking, hammering, and forming.
Other shapes are available.
MANDRELS are specialized jewelry anvils. Usually
tapered, but may have ﬂat surfaces that are
stepped down the length of the taper. May
have different cross section shapes depending
on the use (round, oval, square, hexagonal, etc.).
Usually made of steel or cast iron; may be made
of wood to prevent damage to metal surfaces.
Sizes and shapes specialized for rings, bracelets,
neckpieces, or bezels.
SINUSOIDAL
STAKES
SINUSOIDAL STAKES wavy tapered steel or
nylon mandrels or stakes used for anticlastic
forming, in which the metal is formed in two
curves at right angles to each other.
BEZEL
MANDRELS
STAKES specialized anvils in a wide variety of
forms, used to make hollowware or jewelry.
Stakes may have one head or be double ended.
Most have an extension — the tang — that ﬁts
into a hole in an anvil, a hole in a tree stump,
or into a metal bench tool socket, in order to
hold the stake steady during use. Stakes without
tangs are held in a vise during use.
THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS BY SHARON ELAINE THOMPSON
FLAT STAKE
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THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS
FORMING
DAPPING,
PUNCHING, &
COMPRESSION
Dapping and punching are a way to form
domes, depressions, or other shapes in metal
by stretching it in a specialized block, or against
a surface that “gives” when the metal is struck.
Wood or pitch are the usual materials used for
this purpose. Punching moves the metal rather
than cutting it, as a stamp would.
A rolling mill is used to change the
thickness of metal sheet or ingots by
compression. Patterns can also be transferred
to metal in the mill. A drawplate is used to
change the shape, thickness, or proﬁle of wire
by compression. Thick wire can be reduced
in thickness by pulling it through smaller and
smaller openings of the plate. As a result, the
wire thins as well as lengthens.
MICROFOLD BRAKE
BEZEL
BLOCK
DAPPING
BLOCK
CHASING
PUNCHES
DAPPING
PUNCHES
DRAWPLATE
CHASING/REPOUSSÉ PUNCHES square,
rectangular, or round steel punches with one
highly polished end; the polished ends may
be of various shapes for various functions
in repoussé and chasing. The other end is
unpolished and is struck with a hammer during
metal forming.
a dapping block. A metal disk is placed over the
depression in the block, an appropriately sized
punch placed over the disk, and the punch is
struck with a hammer to form a dome.
DRAWPLATE a steel plate with graduated,
to ﬁve depressions of various sizes per side, used
to form domes or half rounds. Also available
as a plate with depressions all on one side.
Used with dapping punches. May be made of
hardwood, with only one depression per side.
tapering holes, used to reduce the diameter
of precious metal wire by drawing through
the plate from the larger side to the smaller
one. Holes in a drawplate may contain
tungsten carbide inserts for less friction and
wear. Allows you to keep fewer gauges of
wire stock on hand, or to use up short pieces
of heavy gauge wire.
DAPPING PUNCHES cylindrical tools with one
MICROFOLD BRAKE metal corrugator that
nearly round end matching the depressions in
creates a zigzag proﬁle on thin-gauged metal
DAPPING BLOCK a polished steel cube with up
THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS BY SHARON ELAINE THOMPSON
sheet. Compresses sheet into tiny folds by way
of specially engineered drums.
PITCH BOWL a heavy cast iron bowl about 9"
in diameter, used to hold specially formulated
“pitch,” a petroleum product. The pitch becomes
viscous when heated, and is used to ﬁrmly hold
metal being worked by repoussé or chasing
methods. Bowl sits in a felt or leather ring, sand
bag, or other holding device. It can be rotated to
any direction during work. Metal is released from
the pitch by reheating it to viscosity.
ROLLING MILL a small press that allows jewelers
to reduce the thickness of metal sheet, roll
sheet from ingots, emboss metal with patterns,
or shape and pattern wire.
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THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS
FORMING
CHAIN NOSE tapered jaws that are ﬂat
inside and half round on the outside. Jaws
may be extra long or curved. For loops and
curves with a small radius.
PLIERS
FLAT NOSE
CHAIN
NOSE
BENT CHAIN NOSE
CUTTERS OR NIPPERS pliers with a cutting
edge that may be at the side or at the end of
the jaws. Cutting edge may sever wire cleanly
(ﬂush cutters) so that one or both wire ends
are ﬂat, for a smooth ﬁt; or they may cut wire
so that there is a small peak or point where
the wire was pinched during cutting.
FLAT NOSE jaws are ﬂat inside and out and
have squared ends. For angular bends, and
for drawing or pulling.
ROUND NOSE both jaws are round, tapering
from a point to a broader base. For making
loops, coils, and curved bends.
ROUND NOSE
SPECIALIZED hundreds of varieties
available; including ring bending, looping,
hole-punching, tube-cutting, rosary, bow
opening, forming, and many others.
RING CLOSING
HINGE TYPES
There are three types of pliers hinge:
BOX JOINT HINGES, the most expensive,
will not become loose over time.
PARALLEL ACTION JAWS keep pliers jaws
parallel to each other (other pliers jaws
open with a pincer movement).
SYNCLASTIC FORMING
RIVETED LAP JOINTS are less expensive and
less durable than box joint, but provide
greater leverage.
DIAGONAL NIPPERS
PARALLEL ACTION
CONFIRMING
PROFESSIONAL’S CHOICE
PROFESSIONAL’S CHOICE
Denise Peck
Micki Lippe
“I absolutely adore my Swanstrom
ergonomic pliers set. They are so
comfortable in my hands. The best tip
I ever learned in jewelry school was to
use two bent-nose pliers for opening and
closing jump rings. Bent nose pliers allow
you to ﬁrmly grasp both sides of the ring
without obscuring the opening from view.”
“Ergonomic pliers from Allcraft. I also alter
ﬂat nose pliers by grinding the lower jaw
into a soft curve. The pliers come with
a sharp edge that mars the metal. If you
round that edge they are much more
useful. Chain nose pliers will not give you
the larger, more gentle curve that can be
accomplished with these.”
THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS BY SHARON ELAINE THOMPSON
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THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS
FORMING
CLAMPS & VISES
Fingers are cumbersome and lack the precision and
the strength to hold or manipulate small jewelry
components during operations such as drilling,
bending, ﬁling, or sanding. And overusing ﬁngers and
thumb to hold small pieces can lead to repetitive stress
injuries, such as carpal tunnel or tendonitis. Pliers, vises,
and ring clamps give you strength and accuracy, and
save your hands. The inside surfaces of jewelry pliers
jaws are polished smooth, without teeth, to prevent
the marring of metal. Pliers are indispensable for an
enormous number of operations and can be thought
of as both a holding tool and a forming tool. As a
result, there are enormous numbers of specialty pliers
suitable for every category of jewelry work.
RING CLAMP
PIN VISE
BENCH VISE
UNIVERSAL
CLAMP
BENCH VISE a tabletop vise with a clamp that
RING (OR BENCH) CLAMP a hardwood (usually)
UNIVERSAL CLAMP a clamp with a perforated
may or may not swivel in several directions. For
holding work during forming, ﬁling, or ﬁnishing.
or plastic bullet-shaped clamp, with leatherfaced ﬂat jaws, used to hold rings or other small
objects during ﬁling or sanding. A wedge driven
between the two halves of the clamp base
closes the jaws and holds the work in place.
metal face and adjustable jaws used to hold
small objects during ﬁling or sanding. Steel pins
are inserted into the perforated top to secure
work to the two halves of the clamp base so
the adjustable jaws hold the work in place.
PIN VISE a small hand tool with a collet in the
jaws to hold wire or thin tubing for creating pin
stems or earring posts.
THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS BY SHARON ELAINE THOMPSON
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THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS
CUTTING
CUTTING DEFINED
Cutting is really a misnomer when it comes
to metal. Because of the malleability of
metal, it typically breaks or chips, rather
than cuts, depending on what tool is used
to “cut” it. SNIPS, SHEARS, and NIPPERS
compress the metal to the point where the
sheet severs at the place where it is pushed
so thin the molecules break apart. SAW
BLADES chip away tiny shards of metal.
BLADE
HOLDER
SAW BLADES
SAW BLADES available in a range of sizes,
from 8/0 to 8, to suit the type of metal being
sawn. Smaller numbers indicate ﬁner blades
for thinner metal.
SAW FRAME the U-shaped frame has clamps
at each end of the U to clamp the blade; the
base of the U is adjustable for length of blade.
Throat depth (from top of U to bottom)
ranges from 2 1/4” to 6” and up to 11”.
MEDIUM
SAW FRAME
DEEP SAW
FRAME
SAW FRAMES
& BLADES
The process of forming often starts with cutting a
shape from a sheet of metal. For very thin metal,
this may be done with snips; however, snips can curl,
twist, and deform the sheet. Most often cutting is
done with a jeweler’s saw and blades. Simple holes
are cut in metal with drill bits, by hand, or with a
motorized tool. Depressions in the surface of metal
are cut with burs or with gravers. Stamping cuts the
surface — typically in a decorative pattern — unlike
a punch, which merely moves the metal. Files are the
ﬁrst step in ﬁnishing metal, and come in a range of
shapes and “cuts” from coarse to ﬁne.
THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS BY SHARON ELAINE THOMPSON
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THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS
CUTTING
PROFESSIONAL’S CHOICE
ABOUT OUR EXPERTS
Cynthia Eid
EVE ALFILLÉ, located in Evanston, Illinois, is a
ﬁne jewelry designer known particularly for
her knowledge of pearls and her educational
programs. You can see more of her work at
www.evejewelry.com.
“My saw frame made by Lee Marshall of
Knew Concepts is light and comfortable. It
has a great blade-tensioning mechanism—
no more need for pressing the saw frame
between your chestbone and bench!”
NANCY ATTAWAY is a gem cutter and faceting
instructor who collaborates with her husband
Steve to create one-of-kind jewelry in their
studio in Sandia Park, New Mexico. Steve, a gem
carver and jeweler, has published numerous
articles on gemstone polishing. You can see
more of their work at www.attawaygems.com.
HACKSAW
ANDY COOPERMAN is a jewelry artist, teacher, and
writer working in Seattle, Washington. You can see
more of his work at www.andycooperman.com.
CYNTHIA EID, from Massachusetts, is a
respected jewelry artist, teacher, and co-author,
with Betty Helen Longhi, of a forthcoming
book about sheet metal forming titled
Shellforming for Jewelers and Metalsmiths:
Creative Paths to Form. You can see more of
her work at www.cynthiaeid.com.
BILL FRETZ is a jewelry artist and tool designer
in Maine. You can see his work and ﬁnd out
more about his tools at www.fretzdesign.com.
MICKI LIPPE is a highly regarded jewelry artist
working in Seattle, Washington. As well as
actively making and selling her own work,
Lippe has taught metalsmithing and jewelry
making classes, and small business workshops
for jewelry makers. You can see more of her
work at www.looselyhinged.com.
BETTY HELEN LONGHI is a North Carolina
DISC
CUTTER
TUBE
CUTTING JIG
jewelry artist and sculptor working in precious
and semi- precious metals. She is a noted
teacher and co-author, with Cynthia Eid, on a
forthcoming book about sheet metal forming
titled Shellforming for Jewelers and Metalsmiths:
Creative Paths to Form. You can see more of her
work at www.ﬂuidformsinmetal.com.
DENISE PECK is editor-in-chief of Step by Step
Wire Jewelry magazine and senior editor of
Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist. She is the
author of Wire Style: 50 Unique Jewelry Designs
and 101 Wire Earrings. You can contact
her at [email protected] or at www.
stepbystepwirejewelry.com.
THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS BY SHARON ELAINE THOMPSON
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THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS
CUTTING
PROFESSIONAL’S CHOICE
FILES, GRAVERS,
& STAMPS
Cynthia Eid
“I like crossing ﬁles for the way
that they ﬁt into shallow curves
better than a half round. And I use
#00 ﬁles for quick metal removal.”
ONGLETTE
GRAVER
KNIFE
GRAVER
DECORATIVE
STAMPS
SQUARE
GRAVER
HALF ROUND
ESCAPEMENT
THREE
SQUARE
FLAT
FILE CARD
KNIFE
FILE for removing and smoothing metal. Files
come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and various
“cuts.” Cut number (from 00 to 6) indicates
the coarseness of the ﬁle and relative cutting
ability. The smaller the number, the coarser
the ﬁle and the faster it cuts and removes
metal. Hand ﬁles are usually about 6” long;
most cut on both sides; some cut only on
one side with a “safe” back and side (safe
sides are uncut so they do not mark metal).
Common cross section shapes include: half
round, ﬂat, barrette (ﬂat on the cutting side,
with a safe, tent-shaped back side), knife,
triangular, crossing (each cut side with a
different radius), and round. Hand ﬁles are
inserted into wooden or plastic handles to
protect the hand. Needle ﬁles are about
one-quarter the width of hand ﬁles, and are
available in most of the same shapes as hand
ﬁles. Used for small components and delicate
work. Cylindrical rotary ﬁles on a shaft can be
used in a ﬂex shaft motorized handpiece.
FILE CLEANER OR CARD a brush with steel
bristles used to clear ﬁle teeth of metal
fragments. Clogged ﬁles cut much slower.
GRAVERS also called burins. Hardened,
tempered tool steel tool used to engrave
lines on metal. The working end may be
THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS BY SHARON ELAINE THOMPSON
rectangular, square, diamond-shaped,
triangular, oval, or round; each makes a
different kind of cut in metal. They may be
cut to engrave lines in a texture such as a
Florentine ﬁnish. Gravers are also used to
move metal over the edge of a stone in
bead and pave setting. Gravers are inserted
into wooden handles of various shapes that
ﬁt into the hand.
STAMPS can be square, rectangular, or round
steel. The business end of the stamp may
be shaped to mark metal in a variety of
ways, with a karat mark, for example, or any
decorative mark.
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THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS
CUTTING
DRILL BITS & BURS
BITS high-speed steel, carbide, tungsten
carbide, tungsten vanadium, or diamond
cutting tools used with a motorized
handpiece or drill press used to drill holes in
metal and soft stones; the smaller the drill
number, the larger the drill diameter. Usually
have a twisted cutting edge; pearl drill bits
have a ﬂat cutting face.
GRINDING
BITS
BURS high-speed steel, carbide tungsten
vanadium, or diamond cutting tools, used
with a motorized ﬂexible shaft handpiece for
removing metal, cutting seats, and rounding
prongs during setting. Burs come in a variety
of shapes — round or ball, bud, cone, inverted
cone, stone setting (cone on top of a cylinder),
cylinder, wheel, and concave (for prongs) —
and a variety of sizes, from 1 to 34, with the
largest size number representing the largest
diameter (unlike drill bits).
WHEEL
ABOUT OUR EXPERTS
GARY DAWSON is a custom design jeweler
and owner of Goldworks Jewelry Arts Studio
in Eugene, Oregon. You can see more of his
work at www.goldworksart.com.
HART
HANDPIECE
CHRISTINE DHEIN is a well-known teacher,
author, and jewelry artist as well as Assistant
Director of the Revere Academy in San
Francisco. You can see more of her work at
www.christinedhein.com.
MICHAEL M. DYBER, from New Hampshire,
SETTING
THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS BY SHARON ELAINE THOMPSON
is an award-winning sculptor specializing in
gemstone sculptures whose work is in the
collections of several museums. You can see
his work at www.dyber.net.
www.JewelryMakingDaily.com 15
THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS
SOLDERING
TORCHES
ACETYLENE/AIR
TORCH
STRIKER
HONEYCOMB
BLOCK
THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS BY SHARON ELAINE THOMPSON
A torch is a device that mixes fuel (natural gas,
propane, acetylene) with air/oxygen to produce intense
heat. It is possible to fabricate jewelry using only cold
connections such as rivets. However, almost all jewelers
use some kind of torch for soldering, texturing (such
as granulation and reticulation), and coloring metal.
Torches are also used to heat metal for casting.
It is necessary to add oxygen — in ambient air or
pure oxygen from a tank — to increase the heat of
the ﬂame. The addition of pure oxygen to the fuel (as
compared to compressed air) increases the heat of the
ﬂame by approximately 1500º to 2000º (Fahrenheit) or
by approximately 800º to 1100º (Celsius), and so may
be preferred when casting or working with platinum.
However, compressed air is readily available and less
expensive and, when used with natural gas or propane,
produces enough heat for most jewelry applications.
Once you decide to use either compressed air or oxygen,
your torch, hoses, and regulator must be dedicated to
that one fuel mix. You cannot switch from compressed
air to oxygen without risk of explosion.
When gas is stored in a tank, you need a regulator to
reduce the pressure of the gas as it comes into the supply
line. Gas lines coming from a municipal source usually do
not require a regulator. You’ll also need hoses to feed gas
from the tank to the torch.
Torch tips are available in a variety of sizes for
different applications. When using a torch, you’ll also
need supplies such as metal solder, borax ﬂux, pickling
solution (a weak acid) to remove oxidation caused by the
torch, a charcoal block, soldering pad, striker, and a third
hand (or two) to hold the pieces you’re soldering.
Torches require volatile gases under pressure. Sudden
leaks or careless handling can result in explosions, injury,
or death. Follow all manufacturer instructions and safety
precautions. Be sure tanks are maintained properly and
are secured against falling. If you have any questions, do
not hesitate to ask your gas or tool supplier for guidance.
In addition, you are working with a very hot, open ﬂame.
Develop safe working practices to protect yourself
against burns and other accidents.
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THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS
SOLDERING
CHARCOAL BLOCK
LOCKING
TWEEZERS
PROFESSIONAL’S CHOICE
Christine Dhein
ANNEALING PAN
TORCH TIPS
“The best torch for you is the torch best suited
to the type of work you do. For most jobs, I
use the Mecco Midget torch, which offers a lot
of ﬂexibility. I use it with propane and oxygen;
however, natural gas and oxygen is cleaner, for
those who have that option. This torch has
a variety of torch tip sizes available, including
very small tips for ﬁne chain and other delicate
operations. You can also use it without a tip
to get a larger ﬂame. I also like the way I can
control the heat with a two-tank system, using
a reducing, neutral, or sometimes oxidizing
ﬂame, adjusting the ﬂame type to suit the job.”
THIRD
HAND
ANNEALING PAN ﬁlled with heat-reﬂective
pumice; most rotate on ball bearings.
parts from being blown out of place by the
ﬂame. Soldering pads should not be made of
asbestos, which is a carcinogen.
CHARCOAL BLOCK conserves heat during
soldering, shortening the time necessary to
heat an object to soldering temperature.
STRIKER tool that creates a spark to ignite
torch gases.
SOLDER PAD non-ﬂammable work surface on
THIRD HAND a pincer (or two) mounted on
which metal is heated with the torch. Most
soldering pads are soft so that you can pin
work to the surface, which prevents small
a heat-proof stand that may be used to hold
objects during soldering.
THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS BY SHARON ELAINE THOMPSON
TORCH TIPS determine the size of the ﬂame
produced. Different types of work demand
different sizes of ﬂame: small tips for small
ﬂames for small work; medium tip, medium
ﬂame for general soldering; large tips (often
with multiple oriﬁces, or openings) produce
a large “bushy” ﬂame for annealing, melting,
and casting. Torch tips are numbered: the
smaller the number, the smaller the oriﬁce
and the smaller the ﬂame.
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THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS
SOLDERING
PROFESSIONAL’S CHOICE
SOLDERING AIDS
When using a torch, you’ll also need supplies
such as metal solder, borax ﬂux, pickling
solution (a weak acid) to remove oxidation
caused by the torch, a charcoal block, soldering
pad, striker and a third hand (or two) to hold
the pieces you’re soldering.
Micki Lippe
“Solder picks from Allcraft. Soooo
much better than any others.”
SCREENED
BASKET
PICKLE
FUEL OPTIONS
ACETYLENE when combined with oxygen,
produces the hottest ﬂame, 5080º F
(3232.2º C); when mixed with compressed
air, 3848º F (2120º C). Does not burn clean;
may leave blackened carbon deposits on
jewelry. Use with a regulator speciﬁcally
made for acetylene.
COPPER
TONGS
NATURAL GAS is readily available, liqueﬁed
in tanks or through municipal lines in many
cities. Requires a regulator when stored in a
tank under pressure; does not usually require
a regulator when coming directly from city
lines. Maximum temperature when mixed
with compressed air, 3565º F (1962º C); with
oxygen 5120º F (2826.6º C). Burns clean and
does not leave a carbon stain on jewelry.
PROPANE is readily available and inexpensive
at many gas stations. Requires a regulator.
Maximum temperature when mixed with
compressed air, 3497º F (1925º C). Burns clean
and does not leave a carbon stain on jewelry.
THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS BY SHARON ELAINE THOMPSON
PICKLE POT
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THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS
SOLDERING
PROFESSIONAL’S CHOICE
Eileen Quinn DelDuca
“A Rio Grande tungsten soldering pick for
platinum is always near to use as a heat sink, to
reposition a solder chip, even create texture in
a fused piece.”
SOLDER
ABOUT OUR EXPERTS
BINDING
WIRE
EILEEN QUINN DELDUCA is a jewelry artist in
New York. You can see more of her work at
www.eileenquinngoldsmith.com.
JOHN DYER is an award-winning gemstone artist
in Edina, Minnesota, whose innovative cutting
can be seen at www.johndyergems.com.
FLUX
DISPENSER
HADAR JACOBSON works primarily in metal
clay. She teaches workshops at her studio in
Berkeley, California, and is the author of The
Handbook of Metal Clay: Textures and Forms,
and Silver and Bronze Clay: Movement and
Mechanisms. You can see more of her work at
www.artinsilver.com.
BETTY SUE KING is owner of The King’s Ransom
in Sausalito, California, which specializes in all
types, sizes, shapes, and colors of pearls from
around the world. Learn more about her at
www.pearlgoddess.com.
LIQUID
FLUX
SASHA SAMUELS is an award-winning
PASTE FLUX
FLUX
BRUSHES
SOLDERING
PICKS
BINDING WIRE available in steel or iron. Used
to hold parts to be soldered and to wrap
charcoal soldering blocks to prevent cracking.
reduce cleanup time. The most common
ﬂux is boric acid.
FLUX a liquid or paste that promotes the
remove surface oxidation from jewelry after
soldering.
ﬂow of solder by preventing or reducing the
development of oxidation during soldering,
which can inhibit solder ﬂow. By preventing
the buildup of oxidation, ﬂux can also
PICKLE liquid or dry, mild acid used to
PICKLE POT a small, electrically heated, covered
pot used to heat and hold pickle. Many
jewelers use a small crockpot for this function.
THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS BY SHARON ELAINE THOMPSON
jewelry artist and painter working in Seattle,
Washington, Portland, Oregon, and Abruzzo,
Italy. Samuels specializes in jewelry forms that ﬁt
the human body. You can see her jewelry work
at www.sashasamuels.com.
SOLDER special metals formulated to be
compatible with precious metals, but which
melt at lower temperatures, used to join pieces
together. Available in paste or sheet form.
SOLDER PICK thin, needlelike, heat-resistant
tool used to position solder during the
soldering operation. Made of niobium,
tungsten, or titanium.
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THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS
FINISHING
POLISHING &
FINISHING
The ﬁnal step in jewelry making
is ﬁnishing. Finishing may include
texturing a surface as well as polishing.
Finishing may be done by hand, with
sanding and polishing sticks, with a
ﬂexible shaft motor tool, or with a
dedicated polishing machine.
SHORT
BURNISHER
CURVED
BURNISHER
SANDING
STICKS
AGATE
BURNISHER
STRAIGHT
BURNISHER
TRIANGLE
SCRAPER
HAND FINISHING
BURNISHER a small hand tool with a steel
or tungsten carbide tip that is used to push
down and polish bezels, or burnish (polish
by rubbing metal on metal) prongs or other
areas on a piece of jewelry.
plastic sanding sticks allow jewelers to
replace sandpaper without replacing the
stick. Sanding tools also include small drum
sanders that ﬁt the ﬂex shaft motorized
handpiece.
SANDING STICKS ﬂat wood tools ﬁtted
with a variety of grits of sandpaper, for use
in addition to or instead of ﬁles. Reusable
STONES small stone blocks used to abrade
away solder, scratches, and ﬁle marks.
Usually used wet.
THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS BY SHARON ELAINE THOMPSON
SCOTCH
STONE
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THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS
FINISHING
MOTORIZED FINISHING
BRUSHES bristle brushes are used with
compounds to reach difficult areas that
buffs cannot reach; brass and steel wire
brushes are used to texture or clean surfaces.
BUFFS made of muslin (for most polishing
compounds and applications), hard felt
(for a high polish), or leather (for ﬁnal
polishing). They range in diameter from
2-6”. (Wheels used with ﬂex shaft motor
tools can be smaller.)
MUSLIN BUFFS
FINISHING COMPOUND a combination of
abrasives and binder commonly in bar form.
There is a wide variety of compounds for
different purposes and metals.
POLISHING MACHINE consists of a motor
(1/2 to 1/3 horsepower) with one or two
tapered spindles to hold polishing buffs
and brushes, and a dust collection cabinet.
RED ROUGE
BRACELET
HOLDER
BROWN TRIPOLI
KNOW YOUR COMPOUNDS
BOBBING COMPOUND OR TRIPOLI is
used after ﬁling and sanding for marks
left by those tools.
CHAMOIS
WHEEL
SCOTCH BRITE
WHEEL
BRASS
BRUSH
ROUGE for ﬁnal ﬁnishing. Different colors
of rouge are used for different metals: red
for gold, silver, brass, copper; green for white
gold, platinum, or nickel; black for silver;
yellow for platinum or stainless steel; and
white for niobium or titanium.
PROFESSIONAL’S CHOICE
PROFESSIONAL’S CHOICE
Christine Dhein
Betty Helen Longhi
“I rarely polish. I prefer a satin ﬁnish. I use
a brass brush, 4/0 extra ﬁne steel wool,
or 3M radial bristle brushes to achieve
my ﬁnal ﬁnishes.”
“My favorite polishing tool is a Red Wing
two-speed motor that I purchased from
Allcraft in 1960. In 48 years it has only
needed one bearing replaced and is still
going strong!”
THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS BY SHARON ELAINE THOMPSON
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THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS
SPECIALTIES
CASTING
One of the most time-honored ways to make jewelry is through
lost wax casting. In this process, a model, or pattern, of the
jewelry piece is made in wax — by building up drops of melted
wax, by carving the design from a block of wax, or by using a
combination of the two techniques. The pattern is encased in a
plasterlike material called investment and placed in a burnout
oven (kiln). At high temperatures, the wax melts and runs
out an opening left in the plaster, leaving a hollow spot in the
investment. (This is why the process is called lost wax.) Molten
metal is then forced into the hollow mold by pouring, vacuum
casting, or centrifugal casting. The hot plaster is shattered by
plunging into water; this releases the metal replica of the wax
model. The rough casting is then cleaned up and polished.
Casting your own waxes takes space and special equipment.
Investing a wax pattern properly and casting metal into the
investment mold take practice, but the process is simple. Investment
is a powdery white, high-temperature, silica-based plaster. Because it
contains silica dust, always wear a respirator when mixing investment
and when quenching. Casting molten silver and gold is dangerous
only if you get careless or do not take proper safety precautions.
Take a class or two before casting on your own. Platinum group
metals require special conditions for casting; take wax models to a
professional specializing in platinum. When removed from the kiln, a
metal casting is oxidized from the heat and may have a bit of a rough
surface. Sprues must be sawn off, the surface ﬁled and polished, and
stones set. In fact, you need many of the same skills and equipment
to clean up a rough casting that you do to fabricate jewelry.
BURNOUT OVEN a high temperature kiln
used to melt wax out of the investment and
to heat ﬂasks to casting temperature. Should
be programmable as temperature must be
ramped up and down in stages. Vent kilns
properly so that fumes are removed from
the shop. Kiln temperatures reach more than
1000º F; follow all manufacturer’s safety instructions, and use proper safety equipment.
CASTING GRAIN granules of the metal of your
choice. (When casting you need, on average,
twice as much metal as will be in the ﬁnished
piece; the extra metal will create the sprue. This
metal can be reused, but reused gold must be
mixed, half and half, with new metal.)
CENTRIFUGAL CASTER used to throw molten
BRONZE
CASTINGS
CASTING
GRAIN
metal into the ﬂask after burnout. Traditional
“broken arm” casters have a crucible containing
the molten metal and the ﬂask at one end;
weights to balance the weight of the ﬂask and
crucible are at the other. A powerful spring
operates the caster.
FLASKS stainless steel cylinders in various lengths
and diameters into which the model is placed.
Investment is poured around the model, which
is mounted by its sprue into a sprue base.
SCALES a small one for weighing waxes and
metal casting grain; an old baby scale for
weighing investment.
SPRUE BASE a rubber base that ﬁts temporarily
on the bottom of the ﬂask. The sprue on
the jewelry piece is inserted into a clay-ﬁlled
THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS BY SHARON ELAINE THOMPSON
SCALE
CUTTLEBONE
cone in the center of the base, and the base is
snapped onto the ﬂask. Investment is poured
into the ﬂask; after it hardens, the sprue base is
removed, revealing only the tip of the sprue in
the investment.
TORCH an oxy-acetylene with multiple oriﬁce tip,
or oxy-propane with single ﬂame tip, to produce
a large, high-temperature reducing (oxygen poor)
ﬂame to melt metal quickly. Oxy-natural gas
with a multiple oriﬁce tip can be used for small
amounts (less than 5 ounces) of metal.
VACUUM CASTING/INVESTING MACHINES
used to draw air bubbles from liquid investment
after the model has been invested. Some
vacuum machines can also be used for casting;
ideal for casting larger pieces and small sculpture.
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THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS
SPECIALTIES
WAX CARVING
WAX PELLETS
Wax working goes hand-in-hand with casting, although the equipment is
simple and inexpensive — heat and steel tools are used to build up or carve
a wax specially formulated for jewelry work. Because wax models can be cast
and even cleaned up and polished professionally —for a fee — you don’t
have to invest in the other equipment if you don’t want to.
SHEET
WAX
ALCOHOL LAMP used to heat wax working tools which are then
applied to wax, melting it.
WAX several different kinds are specially formulated for lost wax: build-up
RING TUBE
wax used to add wax to a pattern; hard carving wax to be cut with a knife
or burs; water soluble wax for making the armature for domed or ﬁligree
mountings (dissolves in water and is removed before casting). Wax comes in
various thicknesses of sheet, and shapes and gauges of wire for “fabricating”
from wax; build-up wax can be added to this, or these pieces can be added
to carving wax with heat. Commercial wax patterns are available; alter them
to suit your needs. Sprue wax wires are attached to the model and will,
when the model is burned out, form the exit channel for the melting wax.
SAW BLADES
WAX BURS cutting tools used with a ﬂexible shaft tool; particularly
WAX
FILES
useful for working in hard wax.
WAX FILES specialized ﬁles used to shape and ﬁnish wax models. The
teeth are much coarser teeth than metal ﬁle teeth.
WAX MANDREL unlike tapered steel ring mandrels, wax mandrels have ﬂat,
stepped sections on which to work, and are ﬁxed to a stand so the work
can be rotated. (Spray with a release agent to prevent wax from sticking.)
Flat pieces can be worked on a sheet of glass sprayed with a release agent;
dimensional pieces can be worked over an appropriately shaped block of
water soluble wax which is dissolved away before casting.
WAX WORKING PEN a wax working tool that is kept hot electrically in
place of dental type tools and an alcohol lamp. Choose one with variable
temperature and several different tips.
WAX WORKING TOOLS steel tools that look like dentists’ instruments,
WAX
WIRE
DENTAL
TOOLS
with differently shaped points for building up, scraping, and scoring wax.
A good craft knife is used for carving hard wax.
PROFESSIONAL’S CHOICE
PROFESSIONAL’S CHOICE
Sasha Samuels
Gary Dawson
“My favorite wax tool is an antique round
shaving brush with stiff bristles that I use
to dust away the ‘crumbs’ of wax on models
I am carving. The best part is I have a ﬁnger
puppet of a platypus installed on the handle
end. It adds levity to the workplace.”
“Miniature dividers, acquired from Allcraft, in New York, New York, are nominated as my most
useful wax carving tools, although they are not actually carving tools. I use them to lay out each
and every stage of reduction in a carving to insure that I am making even reductions and my
carving is balanced. I don’t know how I ever made anything prior to owning them. I now rely
on them heavily for every project. Another favorite is one of my little secrets . . . a simple pin vise
holding a broken #3 saw blade. I use this to carve (well, pierce) waxes to create decorative relief.”
THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS BY SHARON ELAINE THOMPSON
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THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS
SPECIALTIES
METAL CLAY
Metal clays consist of metal powder suspended in an organic
binder; when ﬁred in a kiln, the binder evaporates, leaving
behind pure metal. The clays, which have a texture similar to
polymer clay, can be rolled, folded, textured, sculpted. They
shrink from 10 to 50 percent, depending on the manufacturer
and type of clay, and have a lighter density than a cast piece of
the same size; however, the ﬁred clays generally ﬁnish the same
way as metal jewelry made by other techniques.
PLAYING CARDS
ROLLER
PROFESSIONAL’S CHOICE
CLAY
TOOL
Hadar Jacobson
“Since I’ve started working with copper and bronze clay, I’ve
switched to Paragon’s FireFly kiln (although Paragon’s customer
service leaves a lot to be desired). The steel box ﬁlls the whole space
and the distribution of heat is even. It is brick, and since it’s a top
loader, the heating elements are on four sides rather than three, so
the kiln holds the heat better, without leak. This makes it possible
to ﬁre bronze and copper clay in multiple layers with full sintering.
As far as I know, it’s also the cheapest kiln on the market.”
TEXTURE
PLATES
CUTTERS
BURNISHERS
PMC+
BRASS BRUSHES AND BURNISHERS for
polishing and smoothing metal surfaces.
CUTTERS cookie cutter-like tools to cut
consistent shapes from metal clay; also craft
knives and thin, ﬂexible metal sheets.
FIRING SUPPLIES metal clays from different
manufacturers may have ﬁring processes that
require different supplies. These may include
activated charcoal, ﬁring pans, protective gloves,
tongs (for removing hot items from the kiln), and
ﬁre bricks on which to rest hot pans or items.
KILN for processing metal clays must be able
to reach and sustain temperatures of between
260ºC/500ºF and 990ºC/1814ºF depending
on the type of metal clay used. A simple kiln
may achieve only one temperature; others
may allow you to program a slow ramp up to
maximum temperature. Some load from the
front, some from the top. Some types of metal
clay can be ﬁred with special torch setups or on
a gas stove top.
METAL CLAY available in silver, 22K gold,
bronze, copper, and steel. Comes in blocks and/
or thin sheet form, depending on the manufacturer. Slip sold in syringes and jars.
ROLLERS to ﬂatten clay to consistent thickness.
SCULPTING TOOLS any tools used for modeling
ceramic clay will work; awls for piercing; ﬁles for
detailing hardened clay before ﬁring. Forming
material (such as cork clay) is available for
THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS BY SHARON ELAINE THOMPSON
shaping beads and other hollow forms.
SHRINKAGE RULER to determine the amount
of shrinkage you can expect after ﬁring.
TUMBLERS AND SHOT tumble polishing
compacts the metal and burnishes it at
the same time. Use stainless steel shot or
plastic pellets embedded with abrasive. The
shot and abrasive pellets come in a variety
of sizes and shapes; choose a combination
of shapes and sizes to reach all parts of the
jewelry. Tumblers can be rotary or vibratory;
use rotary for shot, vibratory for abrasiveembedded plastic. Stainless steel tumbling
shot, although it costs more, is recommended over carbon because it doesn’t rust.
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THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS
SPECIALTIES
STONE
TWEEZERS
SETTING
PUNCH
DIGITAL
CALIPERS
GRAVERS
BEADING
TOOLS
BUD
BURS
STONE SETTING
Gem materials incorporated into jewelry can be held in place
by glue, but they are traditionally set using strips of metal called
bezels, or small “claws” of metal called prongs. Bead, pave, and
channel setting are all advanced types of setting; there are jewelers
who specialize in pave. Bezel setting involves soldering very thin
strips of metal in the precise outline of the stone to a backing;
sometimes there is no backing, only a thin edge on which the
stone sits within the bezel. The stone is placed in the bezel, and
the bezel is rolled over the edge of the stone with a burnisher.
Setting gem materials (which are usually faceted) in prongs entails
cutting a “seat” in the prongs on which the girdle of the stone will
rest, cleaning up the little splinters of metal this can cause, setting
the stone in the seat, and pushing the prongs over the stone with
pliers. The prong is then ﬁled and polished.
PROFESSIONAL’S CHOICE
Eve Alﬁllé
“A vital component of my setting style involves bezel setting. A lot
of this I have done with a curved burnisher, by hand, taking pride
in my hand strength. But after years of this, especially applying
full strength to 14K gold bezels, I developed a bad case of carpal
tunnel, and ﬁgured out that the hammer is a better way to go,
whether for silver, 14K, 18K, or palladium and platinum.”
BURNISHER a smooth-faced, curved or straight,
BURS, STONE SETTING burs with ﬂat sides and
ﬁnger-shaped tool, set in a handle, used to
push bezels down and burnish them.
conical points. These thin the inside of a prong
down evenly (so that it can be pushed safely
over a stone) and produce a level seat on which
the stone rests; an uneven seat can cause the
stone to break when the prong is pushed over.
BURS, BUD ﬂame-shaped burs used to cut holes
into metal as part of the process of pave setting.
BURS, CUP hollowed burs used to round and
shape a prong that has been pushed over the
stone giving it a ﬁnished appearance.
BURS, HART knife-edged burs used to
undercut a channel, creating a smooth groove
to hold stones during channel setting. Also
used to cut and shape seats in prongs.
FILE, BARRETTE a metal ﬁle, used to ﬁnish
prong edges, with teeth on only one face;
other faces are smooth so they don’t cut or
scratch the stone.
THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS BY SHARON ELAINE THOMPSON
GRAVERS used to raise beads of metal over a
stone in pave and bead setting.
PLIERS, NEEDLE NOSE OR FLAT NOSE preferred
by some jewelers over “setting” pliers for setting
stones; usually the jaws are ground to the
shape favored by the setter.
PLIERS, SETTING special pliers in a variety of
conﬁgurations used to push prongs down
without damaging stones.
RECIPROCATING HAMMER HANDPIECE used
with the motorized ﬂex shaft tool instead of a
burnisher for setting and channel setting.
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THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS
SPECIALTIES
NODULE
TEMPLATES
SCRIBE
DOP
STICKS
SLAB
ROUGH
CABOCHON CUTTING
There are two traditional forms of gem cutting: cabochon cutting
and faceting. Gem cutters may practice both forms of cutting or
only one; they may combine both techniques in the production
of a single stone. A third form, gem carving, is more difficult but
attracts those who want a challenge. The tools are different for
each type of cutting, although there may be some overlap.
Cabbing creates ﬂat-bottomed, domed stones, usually, though not
ALCOHOL LAMP with a cup in which to
always, from translucent or opaque materials. The shape of the stoneto-be is marked on a cut or purchased slice (slab) of rough using a metal
or plastic template. The stone shape is then cut out with a small trim
saw. This rough shape is mounted on a piece of doweling called a dop
stick using dop wax; the cutter holds the dop stick while pressing the
stone to the grinding wheel. The stone is rounded, domed, and polished
with a grinding machine using a variety of wheels of different grits.
melt the dop wax.
used to cool the wheels and saw blades to
prevent them from rusting.
CABBING UNIT for rough-shaping the stone;
SANDING WHEELS for shaping and prepol-
with either silicon carbide or diamond
wheels (silicon carbide is cheaper, diamond
wheels last longer). Usually has several
wheels or belts on the one unit so that you
can move from one procedure to the next.
ishing; in a selection of coarse (100-180),
medium (600), and ﬁne (1200) grits. Wheels
with foam backing or diamond-impregnated rubber wheels.
DOP WAX AND STICKS special wax used to
hold rough gem materials to the dop stick
(as simple as a piece of doweling); provides
an easy way to hold the stone while cutting
and polishing.
RUST PROHIBITIVE added to the water
inch) blade and water source.
SPOOL POLISHER made of phenolic resin;
recommended to cut tough materials, such
as star sapphire or jadeite.
POLISHING COMPOUNDS cerium oxide, tin
oxide, or diamond for polishing.
of rough into slabs; must have a water
source to cool the stone during cutting and
keep the dust down.
POLISHING DISKS OR WHEELS may be
impregnated with ﬁne abrasives for
ﬁnishing; plain wheels or disks (such as
leather) allow you to use an abrasive of your
choice (one abrasive per wheel).
SAW, 6-INCH TRIM for cutting small pieces
WHEEL DRESSER with a single point or in a
SAW, 10-INCH SLAB used to cut large chunks
of rough; for trimming rough shapes out of
slices or slabs; with a thin (0.025 or 0.032-
THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS BY SHARON ELAINE THOMPSON
bar shape; to “true up” silicon carbide wheels
as they become worn during cutting.
www.JewelryMakingDaily.com 26
THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS
SPECIALTIES
LOUPE
PROFESSIONAL’S CHOICE
Nancy Attaway
“My current favorite lap is the Batt polishing lap, invented by
Jon (Gearloose) Rolfe of Maine, which is composed of tin and
other secret ingredients. It is the most amazing polishing lap I
own and use, and has enabled me to polish some difficult gem
materials — emerald and kunzite, for example. The sintered
grinding laps from Inland Diamond Products Company of
Michigan are also very good. These laps, in 325-grit, 600-grit, and
1,200-grit, are expensive but will remain sharp forever; they don’t
just have diamond on the top surface, they have the diamonds
throughout the lap.
“A little known polishing tool are the 3M Trizac cerium laps
and belts. These do a great job on quartz and opal, yet they do not
seem to be in widespread use.”
DIAMOND
ATTACHMENTS
SANDING
BELTS
RULER
PROFESSIONAL’S CHOICE
John Dyer
FACETING & CARVING
Faceting is the process of placing facets—small ﬂat faces— on
a piece of transparent faceting rough. It is done with a faceting
machine which usually comes with a selection of dops, a transfer
block, and one index gear that will allow you to cut stones with
4-fold or 8-fold symmetry. You can add other index gears as you
go along. The machine holds the stone at precise angles against
ﬂat laps of different types used at different stages.
Gem carvers must be artists as well as craftspersons. Because
carving is an individual art form, there are few off-the-shelf
supplies that suit everyone. Carvers may use faceting and/or
cabbing equipment and saws to perform their work. But after
that, most work with hand tools.
“My favorite tool is my Ultra Tec faceting machine. It is the basis
for many of the things I do, and while I often do branch out with
other equipment, either purchased or made by us, it is one of the
things that I use the most. Over the years, I have had to use other
kinds of faceting machines for various reasons and I have yet to
ﬁnd one that is as good or as versatile as my Ultra Tec.”
PROFESSIONAL’S CHOICE
Michael Dyber
“I would say my favorite machine is my lathe, for it will make all my
tooling and machinery for my creative process.”
ALCOHOL LAMP, DOP STICKS, DOP WAX for
GRINDER a small grinding unit is used for
cabochon cutting.
preforming, or grinding out the rough shape
of the ﬁnished stone.
BITS, DIAMOND a variety of shapes and
sizes; most carvers modify them to suit their
particular style of work.
CALIPERS, DIAL to measure stones in
millimeters.
FLEXIBLE SHAFT TOOL must be ﬁtted with an
air and water supply to keep the dust out of the
ﬂex shaft motor and out of the carver’s lungs.
LAP, DIAMOND ﬂat disk impregnated with
a selection of medium (600) and ﬁne (1200)
mesh; for stones higher than 8 on the Mohs
hardness scale, extra-ﬁne (3000) mesh. If you
do not use a trim saw and cabbing unit to
preform rough you will also need a coarse
diamond lap (80 to 180 mesh).
THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS BY SHARON ELAINE THOMPSON
LAPS, LUCITE POLISHING to use with cerium
oxide polishing compound for quartz, beryl,
opal, and stones of similar hardness.
LAP, TIN POLISHING to use with 50,000 mesh
diamond compound for polishing garnet,
tourmaline, and stones of similar hardness.
SAW, 4 TO 6-INCH TRIM for trimming and
preforming faceting rough; ﬁtted with very
thin blade (0.012-inch or thinner) to prevent
wasting the often expensive rough; with a
water source such as a drip tank.
www.JewelryMakingDaily.com 27
THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS
SPECIALTIES
BEADING
Bead stringing can be as simple or as
complex as you choose. A string of beads
consists of beads, a cord, knots, and a
fastener, if necessary. Whether or not
you knot between beads depends on the
weight of the cord, the look you want, and
the protection you want to give the beads,
as knotting prevents beads from rubbing
against each other — delicate pearls can
wear through the nacre at the drill hole
after years of wear; soft turquoise can be
scoured by metal spacers.
SILK
CORD
BEAD BOARD
NEEDLES
TIGERTAIL
CRIMPS
KNOTTING
TOOL
CRIMPING
PLIERS
FINDINGS
PROFESSIONAL’S CHOICE
STORAGE
SCISSORS
Betty Sue King
“My favorite beading tool is my pearl
drill that I purchased in Japan 25 years
ago. It comes with various sizes of
heads that hold the pearls in place for
drilling. Some strands of pearls have
tiny holes that are difficult to begin and
end stringing. Drilling the holes slightly
bigger takes care of this problem.”
BEAD BOARD a board that is covered with a napped material to keep the beads from
rolling around too freely, and lipped to prevent the beads from rolling off the table;
boards usually have several shallow grooves across the top and a broad open area below;
loose beads go into the broad area; the grooves are used to arrange your beads in order.
CLEAR NAIL POLISH to stiffen silk so that it can be run back through beads.
CORD tigertail, nylon-encased twisted wire, used for heavy or abrasive beads; monoﬁlament
(ﬁshing line), less stiff but less durable than tigertail, also used for heavy beads; nylon thread, for
glass, plastic, or stone beads, used when knotting is necessary or desired; and, silk, the classic,
used for pearls. Depending on the size of the drill hole in the bead, beads can also be strung on
leather cord, cotton curtain cord, metallic, multi-colored, or plain white crochet cotton, knitting
worsted. Cord comes in a variety of colors to complement or contrast the colors of the beads.
CRIMPS small rings that are crushed with pliers to hold silk or nylon cord in place.
FINDINGS a selection of clasps, bead tips, crimps, separators, to ﬁnish off the strand.
FLEXIBLE NEEDLES sizes #10 and #6 for most work.
HEAT a lighter or matches to melt the ends of nylon cord to hold it in place.
SCISSORS preferably those with very sharp tips that have no ﬁnger holes and are held in
the palm of the hand
SPECIALTY PLIERS include bead-crimping, split-ring opening, bead knotting, and coiling.
STORAGE a selection of zip-lock plastic bags (available from most hobby stores) or a small
cabinet with many drawers in which to store loose beads and ﬁndings, and thread so that
it stays clean and undamaged.
THIRD HAND essentially tweezers on a stand; used to hold a strand while the stringer is
using both hands to tie knots.
TWEEZERS with a sharp, ﬁne point to tie and untie knots.
THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO JEWELRY MAKING TOOLS BY SHARON ELAINE THOMPSON
www.JewelryMakingDaily.com 28
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